This might sound ridiculous, but matches featuring Colchester United this season could end up surpassing 200 goals.

The century mark was passed last weekend, during the manager-less U’s 3-2 home defeat to then-bottom club Barnsley.

Winger Adam Hammill’s cool finish, to put the Tykes 2-0 up, just before half-time, was the 100th goal in U’s games this term.

And by the time that Chris Porter had completed the scoring, with his wonderful chested-down shot into the roof of the net, the grand total was on 103 goals from the U’s 25 league and cup games.

That works out at an average of more than four goals per game, with alas more of them ending up in the U’s net (60) than in the opposition’s net (43).

We are not yet at the half-way mark this season, so that staggering 200-goal landmark could be reached.

There are still 25 games left in this League One campaign, and the Us are still in the FA Cup – they will entertain Championship side Charlton in the third round on January 9.

So if the current rate of scoring/conceding continues, then a staggering double-century of goals could be attained, on or before the final day fixture at home to Rochdale.

Of course the U’s are determined to improve their woeful defensive record, and current caretaker manager Wayne Brown, who hopes to get the job full-time in the next few days, is focusing on achieving that aim.

But Brown also believes that his team are giving themselves a chance of turning the corner, after suffering six league defeats on the spin, by scoring regularly themselves.

Brown confirmed: “If you score two goals at home, you should be winning games, end of story, but that’s not where we are at the moment.

“We’ll keep plugging away, but we’re still scoring goals, which gives you a hell of a chance of picking up points.

“I’m not questioning the players’ character or belief, or their enthusiasm. But we’ve got to do it from minute one, not wait until we find ourselves 2-0 down.

“However, it’s something to work on, because as long as you have got that (belief) in the changing room, then you can always work on the defensive side to make that better.

“The third goal for them (Barnsley) was the first time they got into our box in the second half, after 15 minutes, but that’s where we are at the moment.

“I’m not into hard luck stories, I never will be,” added Brown.

There have been so many eye-catching score-lines already, during this crazy season.

The U’s have suffered heavy defeats at Wigan (5-0), Burton Albion (5-1), Millwall (4-1), Fleetwood (4-0) and Shrewsbury (4-2), although they did hammer non-league Wealdstone 6-2 on the road in the FA Cup.

There was also a dramatic 4-4 home draw against Walsall in October, and a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw at Chesterfield in mid-September, while five U’s games have ended in 3-2 score-lines.

Not surprisingly, the U’s have the worst defensive record in the Football League, with 52 goals conceded from 21 league matches.

That is 16 more goals than the next worst in League One – Crewe, Barnsley and Chesterfield have all conceded 36 goals.

And even Football League basement dwellers York City (44) have conceded eight fewer goals than the charitable U’s.

What the U’s would do for a clean-sheet!

Maybe the tide will turn away at Rochdale this Saturday?

Maybe.